Referring to FIGS. 10 and 12, a chair is equipped with a conventional reclining apparatus 100 so that the chair can be reclined. The chair includes a base 122, a hydraulic cylinder 119 installed on the base 122, a seat 124 connected with the hydraulic cylinder 119 by the reclining apparatus 100 and a backrest 126 connected with the seat 124.
Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, the reclining apparatus 100 includes a first joint 113 and a second joint 120 pivotally connected with the first joint 113. The joint 113 defines an aperture 118 for receiving the hydraulic cylinder 119. The second joint 120 is attached to the seat 124. The screw 114 includes a first end inserted through an aperture defined in the first joint 113 and a second end inserted through an aperture defined in the second joint 120. A nut 112 is screwed on the second end of the screw 114. A spring 117 is put around the screw 114. A nut/knob 115 is screwed on the first end of the screw 114. As the seat 124 is reclined relative to the hydraulic cylinder 119, the spring 117 is compressed so as to “counter.” The nut/knob 115 can be screwed or unscrewed on the screw 114 so as to adjust the range within which the seat 124 can be reclined relative to the hydraulic cylinder 119. However, the rotation of the nut/knob 115 is exhausting and time-consuming. Hence, a tongue 104 and a crankshaft 103 are used to adjust the range. The tongue 104 is movable into a space between the first joint 113 and the second joint 120 through a window 110 defined in a front plate 128 formed on the second joint 120. The tongue 104 includes a thick portion 106 and a thin portion 107 extending from the thick portion 106. When only the thin portion 107 is between the first joint 113 and the second joint 120, the range is large. When the thick portion 106 is between the first joint 113 and the second joint 120, the range is small. The crankshaft 103 is rotationally mounted on two lugs 108 formed on the front plate 128. The crankshaft 103 includes a first crank 101 and a second crank 102. The first crank 101 is inserted in a lug 105 formed on the tongue 104. The second crank 102 is for abutment against the front plate 128. The rotation of the crankshaft 103 causes the movement of the tongue 104. It is, however, impossible to retain the seat 124 in any reclined position relative to the hydraulic cylinder 119 with the conventional reclining apparatus 100.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problem encountered in the prior art.